[MelancholyFae]

TL;DR - if you really feel the need to not read the paragraphs; at least read the bold print.

(Disclaimer: I’d like to point out this is my opinion, but I believe that it should be read by all, and at least try to understand my point of view, as well as where I’m coming from. I’m not trying to make this into a debate, or other things; but if people feel the need to discuss, as long as we don’t throw insults and point fingers, I think it should be alright.)

I’d like to talk about the health of not only in-game (IC) communities as well as the individual characters, but also about the OOC community and the players who make up the community.

Specifically, about illnesses, disabilities, and how they impact all four aspects.

As a player, we make up characters to roleplay. We find a way to make their story based on the setting and the lore, and we give them different skills, personalities.. traits negative and positive, quirks, etc. We want to play something fun, perhaps not as ‘normal’ as everyday mundane can be, sometimes something that can challenge us. We remember that character development happens not just during the creation, but also when we begin playing that character.

What we may not remember, is that we also need to keep in mind the interactions this character will have with the rest of the community (in the game), whether it is an insane person, a stupid one, someone who kills for fun or necessity, one who perhaps prefers being a recluse. Perhaps they don’t start out insane, perhaps they come out of their reclusive shell because of the persistence of a dear friend, but in any case, it’s what we give the characters first - that sets all the other dominoes in place. Will they have a chance to fit with the rest of the players? Are you willing to accept that, if they are mean-spirited or dangerous, that it’s a very good chance others won’t like them? Will you keep to your character’s personality and ethics the way you created from the backstory? (Yes, changing them due to development is still allowed, if it makes sense. I’m talking more on a general level first.)

Another dance-around, is making a character and remembering that sometimes it will be difficult to keep ooc feelings from disrupting your character’s interactions with others. Try to keep in the mindset of your character. (This is the most often one that people hear, so I don’t need to go into more detail.)

An addendum to this one, that is also heard often, is interacting with other players out-of-game. Respecting each other is important in a community.

Which leads me into the illnesses and disabilities now.

Most servers have roleplay, with a setting that has war play a heavy part within it. After all, it’s a dynamic conflict on a high scale, and can often be the best way to explain why people ‘show up’ into certain places. Whether the war is current or ancient, dealt between tribes or races, etc. It’s considered a good way to explain various things for settings.

I also realize, that there is trauma caused by war. People die - violently. People get lost, get enslaved, get tortured, etc. Backgrounds need to show the effects of war for our characters for them to be believable - because it’s not a completely escapable fact. This can and will lead to things like PTSD, (Post-Traumatic-Stress-Disorder), Depression, Desensitization, and others for mental - and can and will lead to things like amputated limbs, loss of sight, hearing or feeling, and other things for physical.

What I want to point out is:

(#1) Not every character that will be played, has to have these issues. There are many many people in our fictional world. We pick out a character to play, that is ‘different’ in some way or another, from any of the other Thomas’, Richards’, and Harrys’ from their respective cultures. Not every character that gets brought into the setting as a Player Character, needs to be a war veteran, or an ex-slave, or a spy. We still have ‘normal’ (more common) people who escape from the warring lands to find a new place to live.

(#2) Please, don’t make a character whose defining characteristic is their mental or physical illness. That shouldn’t be the way to make them ‘unique’ or special or playable. There is a difference from making it a part of the character, and making it the only/main part of the character that is seen. There shouldn’t be a cause to only ever think of “Johan” as ‘the kid who hears voices’.. we want to be able to say ‘the kid who’s amazing at crafting clay flutes’. We don’t want to end up thinking of “Lucas” as ‘that man who starts charging whenever he heard a buzzing sound’ - it would be nicer to think of him as ‘that man, he may have issues with certain noises, but he’s great at catching sharks’.

(#3) Think of how those characters actually could act in real life. Depression sucks - a lot. Yes, theres different versions of it. But overall, it’s not something easily overcome ‘just when you want it to’. It sucks you down into a dark sludgey hole, and doesn’t let go easily. You’re not gonna always have a character with depression just traveling, surviving, or even do their daily work in their profession.

(#4) Research. If you really truly want a character with something that is a disability, and it WILL be a disadvantage to your character, then do research on it. I don’t mean one wiki page. I mean find different health sites; read different meanings and descriptions. Find out causes, symptoms, treatments. Make sure treatments are setting-appropriate. Use the right terms. If you’re having an issue finding the correct term for what you’re wanting to roleplay, then you either ask - or don’t try to play it. *Getting it wrong, is a slight pet peeve of mine. I do actually get grouchy at those who keep mislabeling ‘bipolar’ when they mean ‘hearing voices’ and not ‘mood swings’ (to put it in terribly generically vague and inappropriate terms.)*

(#5) Think of the impact your character’s disability will have on the IC community and in the setting. The current people in the setting may or may not treat you equally. Your issues that you thought were cool to play, may actually end up hindering a lot of potential RP. Crippled? Will this deter you from being able to go up hills or climb stairs? Social anxiety - you won’t do well in crowds at all (though yes, you can roleplay a bit such as running in fear when a crowd gathers around you. But you can’t really roleplay within the crowd.) Snarl at anyone who comes near? People may very well leave you alone to the point of no one to rp with.

(#6) Think of the impact you will have with the players as well. My deaf character, at the beginning, was very hard to play - and not just for me - because people had to realize and alter their emotes a bit, to compensate for my character’s lack of hearing. I had to ask them oocly a few times - is your character facing me? Can i see their lips move? Do they slur? They had to remember themselves, FOR their characters, when coming to visit my home - knocking does NOTHING.

(#7) What is your reason for making a character with a disability? Is it because you want to improve your roleplay? Is it because you want a challenge? (I did her deaf, as a challenge to better my rp.) Do you think it will create more RP opportunities? Do you think it would just be fun or interesting to try it? Or are you trying to just be different, or to gain empathy? Are there other reasons? I won’t say any of these are wrong - again its more situational than that, and the other points I made, would need to be considered first.

(#8) Realize, that some things, like certain mental illnesses, are actually detrimental health-wise, to roleplay. Not just for yourself, but for the community. They are sensitive topics to explore, not just in the OOC community, but also as playing a character with them. There is a reason they are considered a ‘high skill level’ trait to play.

(#9) Also realize; concerning mental illnesses - having one (or more) or knowing someone with such, does not always count as having researched or understanding of such. Parents, even, don’t always understand why their kids act a certain way, even after diagnosed and given prescriptions. Just like with other illnesses or disabilities, or stuff, they may need help researching, and understanding all aspects of how this affects their lives.

(#10) And certainly not least; be respectful about such things, especially when talking with other players about such stuff. Yes, this can be a blurry line, but please try to err on the side of caution and respect, whether it’s about a character with a mental illness, or a player talking about it in real life.

I know this is long - and I’m sorry. But I felt this finally needed to be said, and explained, for the health of ourselves and the community.

~ Heather
MelancholyFae

[mcman]

I agree with pretty much all of this, but I'd especially like to reiterate a few things in particular. Foremost is #2: if you're trying to think of ideas for a next character and the first thing you start your concept with is a mental disability, you're probably doing it wrong in my humble opinion. Mental illness is not a substitute for personality.

Obviously, as #4 states, rigorous research is a must. A full wikipedia page can be a good start, but other sources to start one off might include the DSM (4th edition is most current), which is really the only widely accepted list of criteria for diagnosing different mental disorders. However, keep in mind that the DSM doesn't really go into how disorders arise, more what their features are once they've initiated.

Next, #9 is an important point. First or secondhand experience with mental illnesses may be a slight advantage, but even so it's like one of the basic tenets of psychology that we can never be truly impartial when evaluating our own minds (this is a general issue I take with self-insert characters). Mental illness can even affect one's portrayal of that illness, or even worse (I am not sure if there has been research on this yet, but it seems quite conceivable) RPing a character sharing one's IRL mental illnesses may even exacerbate one's OOC symptoms, for certain disorders.

Lastly, as Fae mentions, characters who possess any kind of disability will face challenges that may impair their social functioning. Social behavior is particularly key to RP (as no one really likes single-player RP), and thus this is a very fine line to navigate. This is why staff recommends that only the more advanced RPers tackle this challenge.